We’re trying to get more aggressive and do even more WNST Baltimore “Rocks The Red” buses down to D.C. than usual this season but can only do these trips based on demand. If you love the Caps and don’t like the drive before and after games, our trips have an eight-year track record of being easy, fun and affordable. We appreciate you supporting all that we’re doing to grow the hockey community in Baltimore. If you know of other Capitals/Skipjacks/Clippers/Bandits hockey fans in Baltimore, please help us spread the word and fill some buses with Baltimore “Rock The Red” fans.

All aboard another Jerry’s Collision Center WNST Rocks The Red Puck Bus to D.C. as the Washington Capitals take on the Minnesota Wild at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 5, 2015. Our Gunther Motorcoach will depart from the White Marsh Mall at 4:15 p.m. with a pickup from Catonsville/UMBC I-95 Park N Ride (at Rt. 166) at 4:45 p.m. All tickets are upper level in the Verizon Center and include a limited supply of cold beer (for those 21-and-over) en route and snacks, soft drinks and fun videos and giveaways.

We will be able to accommodate larger groups upon request and always keep groups together.

We hope you join us for a night of hockey and fun aboard the Jerry’s Collision Center WNST Rocks The Red Puck Bus to D.C. Families and children are welcomed and encouraged to join us!

It’s a great night out!

Your PayPal receipt is your ticket and we always throw you an email 48 hours before the game to confirm everything. All you need to do is purchase and we’ll see you at the bus. We bring the game tickets with us. Nice and easy!

The Ravens attempted to boost depth in the secondary with the signing of veteran cornerback Derek Cox on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old was cut by the Minnesota Vikings earlier this week and is expected to play in the preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints Thursday night. The Ravens parted ways with rookie wide receiver Jace Davis to make room on their 75-man roster.

Cox began his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars after being selected in the third round of the 2009 draft out of William & Mary. He started 45 games for the Jaguars over his first four seasons before signing a four-year, $20 million contract with the San Diego Chargers prior to the 2013 campaign.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound cornerback began last season as a starter for San Diego before being benched for poor play and losing his starting job in Week 13. He finished with 38 tackles, one interception, and seven pass breakups in 16 games, 11 of them starts. According to Pro Football Focus, Cox graded out 106th out of 110 cornerbacks to play at least 25 percent of his team’s snaps during the 2013 season.

Cox was released by the Chargers in March and signed a one-year contract with the Vikings later that month.

With injury concerns and a lack of experience beyond starters Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb, the Ravens have been looking for cornerback help for quite some time, but it remains unclear whether Cox will make the final roster, let alone be trusted to potentially leapfrog Asa Jackson and Chykie Brown on the depth chart. He is now joining his fourth team in just over two years, which doesn’t speak well for his recent play.

Taking part in the first Home Run Derby of his career, Orioles center fielder Adam Jones advanced to the second round before bowing out in the 2014 competition at Target Field in Minnesota on Monday night.

The four-time All-Star selection hit four homers in the first round to advance in the new tournament format before falling short against Oakland outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, who hit nine homers to advance to take on Toronto’s Jose Bautista in the third round. Jones hit three in the second round after Cespedes put up the impressive number, but two laser shots hooked foul, which didn’t help the Baltimore outfielder’s effort.

Cespedes would go on to win the competition for the second year in a row, besting Cincinnati’s Todd Frazier in the finals.

“The #HRDerby is legit,” Jones wrote on his official Twitter account after being eliminated. “Great experience and had a blast. All in the fun of the game.”

Teammate and injured catcher Matt Wieters brought a sports drink to Jones at one point during his second round at the plate, but the energy boost wasn’t enough to get him to the semifinals.

Orioles bullpen catcher Jett Ruiz pitched to Jones in the competition as the 28-year-old was trying to join Cal Ripken in 1991 and Miguel Tejada in 2004 as the only Baltimore players to win the Home Run Derby.

Jones is hitting .301 with 16 home runs and 54 runs batted in this season and will bat seventh behind Orioles designated hitter Nelson Cruz in the American League starting lineup for Tuesday’s All-Star Game.

Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN – The Minnesota Twins announced today that they have selected 30 additional players on the final day of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft to bring their three-day total to 40 players. In all, the Twins drafted 19 pitchers, including 16 collegiate arms, and 21 position players in the three days of the draft. Of the 21 position players, six are catchers, 10 are infielders and five are outfielders.

Among the players the Twins selected was University of Maryland SS Blake Schmit. Schmit was selected in the 26th round (770th overall), joining Jake Stinnett (2nd round-Chicago Cubs) as Terps to be drafted. Schmit bats right-handed and is hitting .312 with a home run and 17 doubles for the Terrapins.

TONIGHT’S ORIOLES-TWINS GAME AT ED SMITH STADIUM CANCELLED DUE TO RAIN

Tonight’s Orioles-Twins game at Ed Smith Stadium has been cancelled due to rain. There will be no makeup date. Fans holding paid tickets for tonight’s game may exchange their tickets for any of the remaining Spring Training games at Ed Smith Stadium, subject to availability, or obtain a refund. (The day’s earlier game against the Philadelphia Philles was also rained out.)

Additionally, the St. Patrick’s Day green and black caps the Orioles were to wear tonight will be worn in Wednesday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Following the game, the caps will be autographed and auctioned online at www.orioles.com/auction, to benefit the animal hospitals at Mote Marine Laboratory.

The Sarasota-based hospitals treat sick and injured dolphins, small whales and sea turtles with the goal of returning them to the wild. Fans can learn more about Mote’s animal hospitals at the OriolesREACH community booth on the main concourse during the game.

On non-game days, tickets may be exchanged at the stadium box office from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On the day of a game, beginning two hours prior to game time, tickets may be exchanged for that game only at the ticket windows. Fans who would like to exchange their tickets for a prime game will be required to pay the difference in cost.

To obtain a refund for paid tickets, fans should send the original game tickets via certified mail to:

The National Football League today announced the five finalists for the 2013 GMC NEVER SAY NEVER MOMENT OF THE YEAR. The “GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Year” is the best moment or play of the year that represents determination and perseverance.

Fans can vote for one of these five moments on www.nfl.com/gmc through Thursday, January 23 to determine the 2013 GMC NEVER SAY NEVER MOMENT OF THE YEAR.

The winner will be presented the 2013 GMC NEVER SAY NEVER MOMENT OF THE YEAR award in New York City at the “3rd
Annual NFL Honors” awards show, a two-hour primetime special to air nationally on February 1 on FOX, the night before Super Bowl XLVIII.

The five finalists were selected among 17 of the most memorable GMC Never Say Never Moments during the 2013 NFL season. Each week the NFL selected three nominees for the moments of the week in which the fans voted for the winner on NFL.com/GMC.

“GMC is proud to honor the determination and perseverance demonstrated by these finalists with the GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Year Award,” said Sandra Moore, Director of GMC Advertising and Sales Promotions.

“These characteristics are demonstrated every day by GMC’s engineers creating the best trucks and SUVs for our customers, and the ‘Never Say Never’ attitude is exactly what we put into every detail of our vehicles.”

In addition to voting for the GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Year, fans may also visit www.gmc.com/nfl to enter for a chance to win the GMC Never Say Never NFL Fan Experience, which includes: trips to the 2014 Scouting Combine, the 2014 NFL Draft, a 2014 regular season game of choice, Super Bowl XLIX in 2015, a GMC vehicle of choice, and more.

A closer look at the nominees:

Wk 5: Peyton Manning, Julius Thomas, Broncos outlast Cowboys in thrilling finish:
PEYTON MANNING helped the Denver Broncos overcome a 14-0 deficit in the first quarter, and again by a touchdown in the fourth quarter, to earn a thrilling 51-48 win on the road against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5. In the game, Manning threw four touchdown passes, two to wide receiver JULIUS THOMAS, and added another on a run. During the record-setting game, the Broncos and Cowboys combined for 1,039 yards of total offense which is tied for the second-highest scoring game since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970. Linebacker DANNY TREVATHAN’S interception of a TONY ROMO pass set up MATT PRATER’S game-winning field goal and assured that the Broncos would remain unbeaten.

Wk 10: Panthers rally to prevail in defensive struggle:
CAM NEWTON and the Carolina Panthers survived a defensive struggle in San Francisco to collect their fifth consecutive win. The Panthers rallied from nine down to earn a huge 10-9 road win against the San Francisco 49ers. Running back DEANGELO WILLIAMS’ touchdown brought Carolina to within 9-7 of San Francisco, and GRAHAM GANO’S 53-yard field goal in the fourth quarter put the Panthers ahead. However, it was the stingy Panthers defense led by linebacker LUKE KUECHLY, who finished the game with 11 tackles and a sack, that made sure the narrow one-point lead held up. The Panthers twice shut down COLIN KAEPERNICK on last-ditch, late-game drives, including an interception from DRAYTON FLORENCE to seal the win.

Wk 12: Brady, Patriots overcome 24-point deficit, win in OT:
Down 24-0 at halftime, quarterback TOM BRADY guided a second-half comeback that forced overtime, where the New England Patriots eventually won, 34-31. The Patriots lost fumbles on their first three possessions as the Broncos built a 24-0 lead in the first half. However, the Patriots rallied, scoring on their first five possessions of the second half to erase the deficit. After Broncos quarterback PEYTON MANNING threw a touchdown pass to receiver DEMARYIUS THOMAS late in the fourth quarter to tie the score and ultimately force overtime, the Patriots took advantage of a fortunate bounce of a punt that hit a Broncos player and was recovered by NATE EBNER at the Broncos’ 13-yard line. Kicker STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI kicked a 31-yard field goal to give the Patriots a 34-31 overtime win.

Wk 14: Ravens survive frantic final minutes vs. Vikings:
Quarterback JOE FLACCO threw a touchdown pass to rookie receiver MARLON BROWN with four seconds left to cap a frenzied final two minutes and lift the Baltimore Ravens to a thrilling 29-26 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Despite playing in a snowstorm, the Ravens and Vikings combined for five touchdowns in the game’s final 125 seconds. The Flacco-to-Brown score finished a five-play, 80-yard drive that eclipsed all but four of the game’s final 45 seconds. The Ravens’ rally also included a 77-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by JACOBY JONES.

Wk 17: Rodgers’ fourth-down TD puts Packers in playoffs:
Facing a fourth-and-8 at the Chicago Bears’ 48-yard line with 38 seconds remaining, Green Bay Packers quarterback AARON RODGERS hit receiver RANDALL COBB for a 48-yard touchdown play that helped the Packers capture the NFC North crown. Rodgers had missed seven games with a broken collarbone and Cobb had missed the previous 10 games with a knee injury.

For more information on the 2013 GMC NEVER SAY NEVER MOMENT OF THE YEAR, visit www.nfl.com/gmc.

Comments Off on Ravens nominated for “Never Say Never Moment of the Year”

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Watching from afar, it would be easy to conclude Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco hasn’t had a good 2013 season.

Already with a career-high 17 interceptions and on pace to post the lowest passer rating (77.0) of his six-year career, Flacco has clearly suffered from working with the league’s worst-ranked rushing attack in yards per carry (3.0) and a supporting cast that’s lacked tight end Dennis Pitta until this past Sunday. But his fourth-quarter performance has been the saving grace in the Ravens finding themselves with a 7-6 record and currently in position to be the AFC’s No. 6 seed in the postseason.

For the second straight season, Flacco’s highest passer rating (91.7) has come in the final 15 minutes of play as he’s thrown eight fourth-quarter touchdowns — twice the number he’s thrown in any other period. He’s completed 66.1 percent of his passes in the final quarter compared to just 57 percent in the first three quarters of play this season.

Unsurprisingly, the Ravens offense has also been its most productive in the final quarter by scoring 102 of its 278 points — just under 37 percent of their total output — in that 15-minute period. This past Sunday, Flacco orchestrated the 18th game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime of his career, but he downplayed the significance of his strong performances when the stakes are at their highest on a weekly basis.

“I don’t know. We’ve put ourselves in a lot of situations in the fourth quarter to have to come back on teams and have to play well to win football games,” Flacco said. “We’ve probably spent a lot of time feeling games out, and then all the sudden gotten ourselves into situations where we just have to let it go and see what happens.”

That “let-it-rip” mentality seems to suit Flacco best as we saw throughout last season’s postseason run to the Super Bowl and again on Sunday when he went 7-for-10 for 91 yards and two touchdown passes on the final two offensive drives of the game against Minnesota. Prior to the nine-play, 64-yard drive that culminated with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Pitta with 2:05 remaining in the fourth quarter, Flacco had only gone 21-for-40 for 154 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions.

His late-game success has also come while needing to trust unproven players this season without the likes of Pitta and former Ravens wideout Anquan Boldin in the picture. Other quarterbacks may have thought twice about going to rookie free agent Marlon Brown with the game — and the season — on the line Sunday, but Flacco went right to the 6-foot-5 University of Georgia product in the back of the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown with four seconds remaining.

“It’s just what you have to do. Marlon is a great player,” Flacco said. “I’m not thinking back there, ‘Who is in this position? Can I trust this guy?’ If I was thinking that – if that was going through my head – I’d have all the confidence in the world, and he’d be a guy that I’d pick out.”

This moxie gives the Ravens and their 29th-ranked offense a fighting chance to do what’s necessary down the stretch in their final three games to give themselves a great chance to keep the final playoff spot in the conference. Often criticized in the past for being unemotional on the sideline, Flacco’s ability to never get too high or low in the biggest moments is what has made him so effective over the years for the Ravens.

The task of facing three first-place teams in the final three weeks — two of them coming on the road — is a daunting one, but Sunday was the latest example of the Ravens seemingly being able to flip a switch and do what’s necessary to win — even if it’s not aesthetically pleasing.

“We’ve had so much experience in tight games and in big, meaningful games,” Flacco said. “When we do get in situations where we have to play well in crunch time, the situation isn’t too big for us. We’re able to relax and just play football as we always would. Whereas if you’re not in those situations a lot and you start to think about the consequences of what happens if you don’t do what you should do, that’s when the situation can get too big and can overwhelm some people.”

Suggs remembers 2005 Detroit fiasco

Only one player remains on the roster from the last time the Ravens traveled to Ford Field to take on the Detroit Lions back in 2005.

It was a forgettable and embarrassing day as Baltimore not only lost 35-17 to fall to 1-3 in what would eventually be a 6-10 season but set a franchise record for penalties — falling one shy of the NFL record — and had two players ejected on that October afternoon. One of those players was linebacker Terrell Suggs, who recollected when he was tossed for arguing a roughing the passer call by referee Mike Carey, who explained that Suggs acted with “malice in his heart.”

The 11th-year linebacker could speak with a sense of humor on Wednesday about what happened eight years earlier, but that doesn’t overshadow it being one of the more embarrassing days in franchise history.

“I remember the [21] penalties. Did I get thrown out of that game? I did get thrown out of that game,” said Suggs, who insisted that 2005 game won’t be on his mind Monday night. “I had a lot of ‘malice in my heart.’ I think I head-butted a ref. I remember one of our guys (defensive tackle Ma’ake Kemoeatu) hit the crowd with the ‘X-Pac’ [gesture] — you all know what that is. I remember [former Lions running back] Kevin Jones having an altercation — not like a physical one, but a football altercation with one of our safeties. It was an interesting day. But that was the past, and we don’t ever want to see that side of us again.”

Following every Baltimore Ravens game this season, Ryan Chell and I will take to the airwaves Tuesdays on “The Reality Check” on AM1570 WNST.net with a segment known as “The Five Plays That Determined The Game.”

It’s a simple concept. We’ll select five plays from each game that determined the outcome. These five plays will best represent why the Ravens won or lost each game.

This will be our final analysis of the previous game before switching gears towards the next game on the schedule.

Here are the five plays that determined the Ravens’ 29-26 win over the Minnesota Vikings Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium…

OWINGS MILL, Md. — The Ravens escaped their win over the Minnesota Vikings without an extensive injury list, but veteran wide receiver Brandon Stokley joins linebacker Elvis Dumervil as question marks for next Monday’s game in Detroit.

Stokley left the game with a concussion in a fourth quarter that featured an astonishing 42 points scored between the two teams. It is believed that he was injured catching a 2-yard pass on third down that set the Ravens up for the fourth-and-1 play in which fullback Vonta Leach was stuffed for no gain at the Minnesota 21 with 10:36 remaining.

The 37-year-old wideout missed seven games earlier this season while nursing a groin injury but returned to play in the last three games, catching four passes for 36 yards. Stokley has dealt with at least 14 concussions in his football career dating back to his high school days, which could complicate how quickly he’s able to return to the field.

“He’ll go through the concussion protocol,” coach John Harbaugh said during his Monday press conference. “We’ll have to see how that shakes out. Unfortunately, he’s had a number of those in his career, so that could be problematic for us. We’ll have to see in the next 24 hours or so.”

Dumervil missed his first game of the season against Minnesota after he was unable to recover from a left ankle sprain suffered against Pittsburgh on Thanksgiving night. The pass-rush specialist returned to play in that key AFC North game, leaving the Ravens optimistic that he’d be able to play against the Vikings.

However, his progress was slower than expected last week and the snowy conditions at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday likely made the Ravens’ decision to deactivate him even easier. The Baltimore defense has failed to collect a sack in each of the last two games, which is a disturbing trend with meetings against Detroit’s Matthew Stafford and New England’s Tom Brady coming up in the next two weeks.

“I think Elvis has a chance for next week,” Harbaugh said. “He looks pretty good [Monday]. It’s kind of a bruise in his ankle, so we’ll just have to see where he’s at. I was hopeful for him this week, so I’ll be more hopeful for him next week.”

By all accounts, tight end Dennis Pitta made it through Sunday’s game feeling no ill effects after returning to action for the first time since dislocating and fracturing his hip on July 27. Pitta finished with six catches for 48 yards and reined in a 1-yard touchdown pass with 2:05 remaining in the game.

The Ravens were so confident in Pitta’s ability to play extensively against Minnesota that they listed veteran Dallas Clark as inactive, but Harbaugh said the 34-year-old still fits into the team’s plans moving forward. Clark’s limited ability as a blocker and his lack of a special-teams role make him a difficult player to include among the 46 active players on game days, especially if the Ravens plan to emphasize the running game in a given matchup.

“Dallas is going to be a big part of what we’re doing going forward,” Harbaugh said. “It just depends on the game plan and how the offensive coaches decide to put that together.”

Pass rush MIA

Masked in the euphoria of Sunday’s miraculous 29-26 win over Minnesota was the fourth-quarter struggles of the defense and its inability to collect a sack for a second straight week after 19 straight contests with at least two.

Harbaugh expressed concern over his defense’s inability to finish games strongly, but he didn’t seem as concerned with the pass rush, citing the ability of Minneseota quarterback Matt Cassel and Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger a week earlier to get the ball out quickly. Of course, the snowy conditions Sunday left a few inches of snow on the field, which also impacted the rush in a way similar to the sloppy conditions in Chicago last month.

“I don’t think it’s a product of what people are doing differently. They’re getting the ball out pretty quick,” Harbaugh said. “There haven’t been a lot of downfield-route-type things. We had some maximum protection yesterday, two backs, and those kinds of things where they try to throw it down the field. They were mostly throwing fades or they threw seams over the middle. Those balls come out pretty quick. Field conditions were a factor … more than anything else.”

The absence of Dumveril left more pass-rushing situations for second-year linebacker Courtney Upshaw on Sunday and fellow outside linebacker Terrell Suggs extended his streak of games without a sack to five. Suggs earned at least one sack in seven of the first eight games of the 2013 season but hasn’t collected one since.

BALTIMORE — No words do justice to the finish of the Ravens’ thrilling 29-26 win over the Minnesota Vikings at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday.

Five lead changes and 36 points scored in the final 125 seconds of play? You just had to see it to believe it.

But more importantly for the Ravens, the furious sequence that concluded with quarterback Joe Flacco throwing a 9-yard dart to rookie Marlon Brown in the back of the end zone with four seconds remaining resulted in Baltimore saving its season — at least for now. The action resembled an epic heavyweight fight with haymakers thrown back and forth in the final round, but the miraculous feel to the win conjured up visions of Jacoby Jones’ game-tying 70-yard touchdown catch against Denver in the divisional round last January.

“I think this is probably crazier,” Flacco said. “That one was probably a little more exciting, just because of what was on the line. But when you look at this, similar things were on the line, just not at the same time of year.”

With three games remaining against first-place teams — two of them on the road — the Ravens couldn’t afford a loss to the underwhelming Vikings, who were the better team for much of the afternoon in wintry conditions that brought play to a crawl at different points in the game. Sunday’s contest wasn’t as much of a “must win” as it was “you better win” against a team without a road victory all season.

Some of the Ravens’ biggest deficiencies plagued them again as the offense generated very little through the first 55 minutes of the game beyond a first-quarter touchdown aided by a questionable fumble call. The defense performed reasonably well until another fourth-quarter wilting in which it gave up 20 points, a theme far too common for an otherwise above-average unit.

The running game improved in the second half as Ray Rice found solid running room to collect 67 yards on 17 carries, but the unit also failed in several short-yardage situations as it has for most of the year.

By now, the Ravens’ biggest flaws are unlikely to be fixed with only three games remaining in the regular season. However, they maintained their grip on the No. 6 spot in the AFC playoff race and the recent emergence of Flacco and Jones coupled with Sunday’s return of tight end Dennis Pitta could just be what the Ravens need to advance to the postseason for the sixth consecutive season.

To be fair, Flacco played poorly for much of the game completing just 21 of 40 passes for a touchdown and three interceptions while collecting only 154 yards until the final two drives. His receivers didn’t help much as several drops contributed to drives stalling and the Ravens punting for much of the afternoon.

But the sixth-year quarterback was on point when it mattered, going 7-for-10 for 91 yards and two touchdowns the final two times the Baltimore offense touched the ball. His strong finish followed two of his best performances of the season against New York and Pittsburgh as it appears Flacco might be getting hot at the perfect time after persevering through several factors working against him all season.

On Sunday, he completed his 18th career game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime and his third of the season.

“I see a lot of calluses on his character,” coach John Harbaugh said. “Joe is our guy, and to me, that’s all you really need to say.”

For the first time this season, Flacco was able to lean on Pitta, who completed a remarkable comeback from a devastating hip injury suffered just over four months ago in the first week of training camp. The Ravens have missed his presence in the middle of the field and inside the red zone as he was expected to fill an even larger role this season with the departure of veteran slot receiver Anquan Boldin.

It was Pitta’s 1-yard touchdown catch on fourth-and-goal with 2:05 remaining that put the Ravens back in front and triggered the frenzy of back-and-forth scoring.

He looked rusty early, failing to make a couple catches that he’d normally rein in, but his presence was felt down the stretch as he finished the game with six catches for 48 yards and drew a questionable pass interference call on the final drive that set up the Ravens inside the Minnesota 30. Two plays later, Pitta made an 18-yard reception to bring the Ravens to the 9 before Brown capped off his strong seven-catch, 92-yard performance with the game-winning touchdown catch.

Welcome back, indeed, to the Ravens tight end.

“I remember when I got injured, I didn’t know if I was even going to play football again,” Pitta said. “Being able to stand here and talk about a victory and being a part of that is special for me. And just being a part of this team and being able to fight the way we did today is pretty remarkable.”

Jones provided the big-play ability for the third straight game as his 77-yard kickoff return allowed the Ravens to regain the lead with 1:16 left and showed once again how much of a home-run hitter he can be for a team that’s lacked offensive firepower for much of the season. His Week 1 knee injury and the lackluster performance that followed an extended layoff now appear to be distant memories.

Just as he showed all last season, Jones is entering the zone where he appears to be a threat to take it the distance every time he touches the football.

“I finally got back there, and so the chemistry with my guys that are blocking for me, we’ve got that chemistry going,” Jones said. “And health — I’m feeling good again. I’m feeling like the old [No.] 12.”

Only time will tell how significant the Ravens’ win over the Vikings was on Sunday. For now, it will simply go down as one of the most exciting games in franchise history as five touchdowns were scored in the final 125 seconds of a game for the first time in the 1970 NFL merger era.

But the timing of Pitta’s return to go along with Flacco’s late-game heroics and Jones’ return ability will be needed even more over the season’s final three weeks.

The Ravens still haven’t played a complete game, but they have flashed encouraging signs over a three-game homestand that pushed them over the .500 mark for the first time since early October.

“We’re starting to get healthier,” Flacco said. “We’re starting to put it together as a team. We just need to start putting it together for a full 60 minutes and see where it takes us.”

They barely put it together enough to pull off a miraculous win Sunday to save their season.

The Ravens can only hope to build from there.

Comments Off on Playmakers emerging just in time for Ravens’ final push